


It Ain't Over Till It's Over

by Cowgirl_Lou (Louise2212)



Series: Lilly Mae James [OC] [2]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Lovers to Friends, Starts off a bit fluffy, With a small amount of yearning for a lost love, followed closely with a hint of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-04 08:15:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20467874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Louise2212/pseuds/Cowgirl_Lou
Summary: After discovering John has finally decided to make a go of it with Abigail & Jack, Lilly seeks a bit of peace & quiet around Shady Belle





	1. Drawing with Jack

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sold on this title. if anybody has any better ideas, please let me know

The air was humid & sticky down here in Shady Belle. You wished to sit on the jetty and dangle your feet in the water – but considering the camp was now in the swamps just outside Saint Denis you didn't fancy taking the risk of an alligator chomping your leg off. Choosing a safer option, you finally decided to sit in the shade of the big tree towards the back of the house - far enough away from the main campfire so that you most likely wouldn't be disturbed, but still close enough that people wouldn't be wondering where the hell you'd gotten to.

Reaching into your satchel you pulled out your notebook and a pencil and settled into a comfortable position, with your back placed against the sturdy trunk before you started doodling some small sketches of the camp. Occasionally you'd hear some voices talking nearby and your natural curiosity would force you look up to see what was happening, but for the most part you were fully engrossed in your art.

“What are you reading?” a friendly voice enquired from above you. You looked around and spotted Jack standing on the 1st floor balcony

“I'm not” you hollered over to him “I'm just practising my drawing”

“Can I take a look?” Before you had chance to even respond to him he'd disappeared back into the room he was now sharing with his ma & pa. You shook the thought out of your head. Although you were happy to see John finally man up and start to look after his family, you still wished it was you he was sharing a room with.

“Whoa watch out there Jackie” you heard Arthur exclaim as he moved out the path of the boy running towards you, followed closely by his new best friend, Cain the mutt.

“Sorry, Uncle Arthur” he shouted as he bounded over to you "What are you drawing Lilly?"

“There's not much to look at I'm afraid” you explained to the 4 year old as he sat down on your lap. He looked carefully at the page that was open

“Is that Uncle Hosea?” he asked pointing to a rough sketch you'd previously started and gave up on.

“it's meant to be, I couldn't quite get the picture to turn out how I wanted” he turned the page glancing at each sketch before seeing one that put a huge smile on his angelic face

“You drew Cain?!” The dog who was now laying next to you both lifted his head at the sound of his name. Jack turned to face him with your notebook still in his hands “Look boy, look what Aunt Lilly drew of you” The dog simply sniffed the pages and wagged his tail in excitement, before wandering off in the opposite direction.

“Jack Marston, where you at?” Abigail's voice echoed from the upstairs bedrrom

“Oh dear, you better get back to your momma before she starts getting worried” you explained lifting him off your knee.

“Can I take this with me?” he asked sweetly, clutching it to his chest “I wanna try drawing Cain too!” You nodded reluctantly, you'd just have to find something else to enterain you instead.

“As long as you show me later on okay?” You ruffled his hair and sent him on his way

“Coming Momma” he yelled moving his legs as fast as they would carry him back towards the house.

* * *

You stood up & brushed down your skirt before making your way over to Pearson's wagon to see if today's stew was ready yet. Walking past Hosea reading at the table, you were startled when he spoke to you not lifting his head from the pages “You know Lilly, I'm proud of what a responsible young woman you've become”

“Thank you?” you answered confusedly. You glanced ahead of you, only to see the pot was not yet over the fire, so you pulled up a chair next to older man.

“You could have easily have chased Jack back to his room then, but I like how you handled it”

“I can't really take it out on the boy now can I?”

He placed his book down and looked around to make sure nobody else was listening to your conversation.

“Have you spoken to John yet, since he asked them to move into his room?” You shook your head.

“Didn't seem right at the party, and since I found out about, I thought it be best to give them some space” you sighed leaning back on the chair “I've stolen enough time with him from both Jack & Abigail as it is”

Hosea grinned and nodded before rising from his seat to give you a pat on the shoulder

“Like I said – you've become a responsible young woman”


	2. Facing reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilly's notebook is returned to her and it confirms she knows what she needs to do

The night was starting to draw in and you found yourself sitting with a few of the others around the campfire. Javier was sat nearby on his bedroll playing a beautiful melody on his guitar, while Lenny & Hosea were deep in conversation about something.

“Think this belongs to you” a familiar raspy voice boomed from behind you. You turned to face John for the first time in several days to see him holding your notebook “Found Jack scribbling all over it earlier on”

“Thanks” you smiled “He saw me sketching and wanted to try it out for himself” You took the book from his hands & opened it to see what Jack had spent the afternoon doing and chuckled at the child like doodles in front of you “Though lookin' at these I'm not sure if it was Jack or you who drew them”

“Some gratitude that is” he laughed sitting next to you as Hosea & Lenny looked over in your direction

“What's so funny?” Lenny asked while Hosea glanced to assess the situation between you & John.

You turned the book to face them showing them Jack's interpretation of Cain next to another drawing of a giant face filling the page

“I was just trying to work out whether this is the work of a talented 4 year old – or a dumbass 26 year old” you teased before John gave you a playful punch on the arm.

“Well considering Marston can't even write in a straight line, I reckon those pictures are far too advanced for him” Arthur chimed in as walked over to sit next to Hosea

“Very funny Morgan”

“Whose face is that meant to be?” Hosea asked walking over to take a closer look. A host of names were listed as each person around the campfire tried to guess.

“Nope” John smirked “When I asked him he said it was Lilly”

“No way are my ears that big” you joked “and is my face really that fat?”

“Plus he has you smiling, which is clearly wrong” Javier piped up from his own tent, carefully placing his guitar down before heading away to take up guard duty. You turned the page and saw that Jack has been practising his spelling, as the whole two pages were covered with different sized “_Jack Marston_”s including a “_Jack Martson_” and a “_John Marston Jr_.”

“Looks like your writing lessons are working old man” you complimented Hosea while leafing through the remaining pages until you reached one of your own sketches.

“Well he's definitely improving” Lenny joked “but I think you skipped a page there Lilly”

“I did?” you turned back a page and your stomach sank. On the left there were few faces with names underneath.

_Hosea, Dutch, Oncle Arhtur, Mis Tily, Parsen__,_ while the right had two stick like figures smiling & holding hands alongside a smaller one next to them patting a creature with three legs & a tail

> ** _Cain, Jack, Ma and Pa_ **

Trying to clear the lump that suddenly developed in your throat, you coughed gently. Hosea having already glanced at the page and then your own expression, leaned forward to offer you some of his drink before trying to steer the conversation away.

“Some fine penmanship he's developing there - we'll have him filling out the ledger for us in no time” he joked

John raised his own drink up towards him “He's learnt from the best”

“Something we can both agree on” Arthur nodded slugging back the rest of his drink.

“Well I think it's time I turn in.” Hosea announced slowly rising himself off his seat. “Arthur, Lenny get a good nights sleep you'll need it for tomorrow. As for you two” he pointed at you & John “no causing trouble like the old days”

“I ain't making promises I can't keep” John smirked

“No, you'll just run away from them instead” Arthur grumbled walking towards the house.

An awkward silence filled the air between you & John

“Well, er..., I better head back upstairs too” he announced sensing your discomfort at being alone with him. You looked up at him. He stood up to make his point, but he was frozen in his tracks looking at you. Knowing him so well, you knew he was waiting for you to say stay a while, but you knew in your heart that if you did that you'd never let him leave you again.

“Wait a second” the words fell out your mouth and you melted as his eyes lit up and that smile he only ever seemed to have for you crept across his lips. Lifting yourself up to face him head on, you ripped the Jack's drawing out of your journal and placed it into his hands. “Take this to remember you're doing the right thing” you whispered before kissing his scar inflicted cheek gently. He turned his head slightly to meet your lips and you hesitated for the briefest of seconds before making the conscious effort to pull away before he drew you back into him.

You walked away with tears brimming in your eyes. Knowing he would still be stood watching you, you walked into the downstairs room you shared with the other girls, found a spot on the floor and cried yourself to sleep.

You hadn't quite drifted off when you heard his familiar footsteps walking through the house towards you. Keeping your eyes closed you smelt the whiskey & tobacco on his breath as he leant into you

“I know you're awake, but I just wanted to say thank you Lil'” he whispered “Thank you for helping me do the right thing for once in my life.” He softly kissed your forehead before making his way up the stairs to his own room.

**Author's Note:**

> The character of Lilly is my OC Lilly Mae James who in my head has been in an on/off relationship with John for several years.


End file.
